Apparatus for removing the skin from fruit.



PATENTED NOV. 1906. H. A. BBEKHUIS. APPARATUS POR RBMOVING THE SKIN PROM FRUIT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22.v 1905.

z sHnnTs-snnm 1.

nl: MORRIS Pneus co., lllAsmNmN. n. c.

No. 836,913. PATENTED NOV. 27. 1906. H. A. BEEKHUIS. APPARATUS POR REMOVING THE SKIN FROM FRUIT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.22.1905.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

Iii IM;

mi 'Il l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANUS ALBERT BEEKHUIS, OF HANFORD, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CALIFORNIA FRUIT CANNERS ASSOCIATION, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov'. 27, 190e.

Application filed August 22, 1905. Serial No. 275,251.

.To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANUS ALBERT BEEKHUIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hanford, Kings county, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Removing the Skin from Fruit; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus for removing the previously-disintegrated skin from fruit in which jets of water are directed upon the fruit while advancing under agitation.,

My invention consists'in the novel construction of the supportingscreen upon which the fruit is sha en and advanced in connection with an arrangement, with relation thereto, of the means for suppl `ng the water-jets, as I shall hereinafter lly describe.

My present invention is an improvement upon that apparatus forming the subjectmatter of my pending application, Serial No. 209,648, filed May 25, 1904, to which reference is hereby made for the purpose of more clearly stating and understanding the object of said present invention.

In my former machine the water-j ets were directed upon the fruit from below, as well as from above. The jets from below to be effective required a screen-support for the fruit of as open a character as possible to let the water through with the least obstruction; but such openness is inconsistent with smoothness of screen-surface. When it is considered that the fruit having been previously subjected to solutions for disintegrating its skin is rather tender, it becomes plain that a rough-surfaced screen tends to bruise and damage it. It is best, therefore, to have as smooth a screen-surface as possible, which result may be gained by having said screen less open-that is, one in which the surface is broken by a's small apertures as possible. As such a screen renders the water-jets from below impractical and dependence must be placed on the upper jets alone, it becomes necessary to provide other means for turning the fruit during its advancement in order to pro erly present every portion of the fruit` to sai jets.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to properly present the pass' fruit to the action of peeling-j ets of Water om above without bruising or damaging said fruit. This object is attained by the novel screen-support and the peeling water-j ets relatively arranged in connection therewith, as I shall now describe by reference to the accompanydrawings, in whichigure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken,

of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan of the' same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing one of the cross-slits in the pipe 15.

The frame of the apparatus or machine comprises sills 1, suitable up hts 2, and hoizontal top pieces 3, supportidrgl bythe upri ts. v

g4 is a box closed across its feed end 5 and o en at its dischar e end 6. The bottom of t e box is a screen; ut instead of being made in one continuous plane it is composed of a plurallt of sections in successively lower planes om head to foot. Thus the section 7 at the head or closed end of the box is higher than the succeeding section 7', which itself is higher than the next section 7 2, vthe latter being higher than 73, which is higher than 7, which 1s higher than 75, the last being the final or foot section, as I have for the urpose of illustration shown six sections.

etween the end of one section and the beginning of the next section there is, therefore, a drop or fall, as shown in F 1, which drop is in practice about two inc es. By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the screenbottom sections are not of a very open character, being provided with very narrow slits. This, while providing for suflicient drainage, gives a comparatively'smooth surface, which is of advantage, as I have stated, in not tending to damage the tender fruit.

The bo'x 4 is carried by spring-arms 8, secured at their u per ends to cross-rods 9, fastened under t e box, and lat their lower ends fastened to the uprights 2 of the main frame. A shaking motion is imparted to the screen-box 4 by suitable meanssuch for example, as by the power-shaft 10, with its pulleys 11, eccentrics 12, boxes 13, and connecting-rods 14, secured to the sides of the box. This mechanism 'ves the box such a motion that the fruit is agitated, shaken,

IOO

' sections, advanc' and danced upon and over the screen-*bottom -and dropping from one to the other from ead to foot. Above the scrcenfbox in the line of its longitudinal eentei isslupported a pipe 1,5,hav1ng a suitable connection, such as 16, with a source of water-supply 17. The pipe is closed at its extremity by a cap 1,8. Qn its under side it -the water-jets from apertures is rovided with spraying-apertures 19 of any suitable character-such, for example, as the cross-slits. (Shown best in Fi 3.) These. spray-slits are arranged at suita le intervals, care being taken to arrange certain ones, such :as those marked 19', in'such a position' that they will direct the jets upon the peach just when it is 4ready to drop upon the succeeding screen, so that the water will turn the peach over every time it drops, and consequently cause it to present alternately its cup and its back to the spray or jets.

23 is the feed-spout.

24 represents water-jet nozzles connected a pipe 25 with the Water system and adapted to throw water-j ets upon the fruit as .it falls into the screen-box from the spout 23.

2,7 is a discharge-hopper the walls of which conver to `a discharge-aperture 28, opening into a 'scharge-trough 29. From the sides `of the box converge roof or cover pieces 30 to prevent splashing.

The operation'of the apparatus is -as fol? lows: Thefruit having by previous processes is about to fall from section 7 to 7', the jet romaperture 19 catches it andturns it over in Jfallin say cup side u meaning thereby the side senA thendavity or\deprsion of the fruit. In substantially this position it advances over section 7', being subjected to the action of the peelin -jets until 1t is about to drop to section 72, W en the jet lfrom -an aperture 19 catching it turns it with its back up,- and thus it advances along section 72, and so on to the end, alternately reversing or turrnngrover as it drops from section to section.

,55 -jets all parts of the peach are reached, and

any injury to the fruit.

hus with only the upper I claim as new, and 'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an apparatus for removing the previouslydisintegrated skin from fruit, the combination of a screen-support for the fruit, composed of a plurality ofsections in successively lower planes, means for advancing the fruit over said-sections from higher to lower successively, and means for directing water-jets from above upon said fruit as it advances over the screen-sections.

2. In an apparatus for removin the previously-disintegrated skin from ruit, the combination of a screen-support for the fruit, composed of a plurality of sections in successively lower planes, means for advancing the fruit over said sections from higher to lower successively, and means for directing water-jets'rom above upon said fruit as it advances over the screen-sections, cer-tain of said jets being disposed fordelivery upon the fruit as it is about to drop from one screen- -section to another.

3. In an apparatus for reinovin the previously-disintegrated skin from combination of a shaking-box adapted to receive, agitate, and advance the fruit, said box having a screen-bottom for supporting the fruit, composed of a plurality of sections in successively lower planes, means for shaking the box, means for supplying the fruit to the highest of said screen-sections, thereby providing for its advancement over said sec- -tions from higher to lower successively, and

means for directing water-jets from above upon said fruit as it advances over the screensections.

4. In an apparatus for removing the previously-disintegrated skin from fruit, the combination of' a shaking-box adapted to receive, agitato and advance the fruit, said box having a screen-bottom for supporting the fruit, composed of a plurality of sections in Asuccessively lower planes, means for shaking "the box, means for supplying the fruit to the hi hest of said screen-sections, thereby provi ing for its advancement over said sections from nigher to lower successively, and means for directing water-jets from above upon said fruit as it advances over the screen-sections, certain of said jets being disposed for delivery upon the fruit as it is about to drop from one screen-section to another.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. j

HERMANUS ALBERT BEEKHUIS. Witnesses:

En HoL'r,

Having thus described my invention, what A. F. FLoRY.

uit, the.

roo

IOS

llO 

